Elderly residents of Brooklyn received deceitful pop-up messages and phone calls, with two brothers from New Jersey allegedly swindling them out of a substantial $400,000.
Two New Jersey Brothers Accused of Scamming Senior Women Out of Nearly $400,000
Two brothers from Rutherford, New Jersey, Abhishek Barvalia (31) and Tushar Barvalia (32), have been charged with grand larceny and conspiracy by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. The brothers are alleged to have scammed four senior women, aged between 76 and 90 years old, out of nearly $400,000.
The scams typically began with pop-ups on the seniors' computers, where the brothers pretended to be government agents or bank representatives. They warned the victims of compromised bank accounts and urged them to withdraw all their money immediately.
In early July 2023, a 78-year-old woman from Brooklyn sent the brothers $70,000 via two cashier's checks after receiving a notification on her computer claiming it was infected with malware and being urged to call a number purported to be for Microsoft. A few months later, in December 2023, the brothers are accused of stealing $136,224 from a 90-year-old woman, who was told that her bank accounts were being used to store money related to illicit activity, including child pornography.
Another victim, a 76-year-old woman from Queens, withdrew $171,680 in three cashier's checks and mailed them to the scammers after speaking to someone claiming to be an FBI agent who told her that her savings were being used by hackers to sell drugs, guns, and launder money.
In June 2023, an 83-year-old woman from Staten Island wired $15,000 to a bank account owned by the brothers after receiving a phone call from someone pretending to be a bank representative. A fourth victim, a 76-year-old woman from Connecticut, received a notification urging her to call a number.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the scheme "despicable." The men pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on Monday and are next scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 22. Attorney information for the defendants was not immediately available. The lawyers of the accused Abhishek Barvalia and Tushar Barvalia are not publicly disclosed.
The victims were from Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and Connecticut, according to prosecutors. The brothers are accused of using pop-up notifications, such as an "Apple Security Risk," to scare the victims into complying with their demands.
This case serves as a reminder to be vigilant against scams, especially for senior citizens who may be more vulnerable to such tactics. If you receive any suspicious notifications or calls, it is always best to verify the authenticity of the message before taking any action.
